Prepare for Progress
These questions are optional to use in preparation for each month’s Circle.
Grab a notebook, read the article, and journal away… your own insights may surprise you.
Word of caution: Do NOT try to answer all these questions! This is not a test – there are no wrong and right answers. It is simple a tool to help you learn to step back, analyze, and reflect on your life – when you are not in the thick of it! Don’t feel constrained by the questions – pour out your thoughts and when you get stuck or distracted or bogged down move on to another question and jump off again.
1. Before reading the article, journal about any of the following (use what is relevant for you):
- What have you been reflecting on over the last month?
- What is the problem you are dealing with?
- What have been some key events for you over the last month?
- Is there any experience or learning that have been key for you?
2. Choose one experience you wrote about and answer some of these questions:
- Describe the dynamics of this experience – What was it like for you? In that moment, what did you think, feel (emotions and bodily sensations), say, do?
- What was the big surprise?
- When were you most frustrated?
- Was there any internal struggle? What thoughts were going through your mind?
- What situations were you reminded of?
- What is the mood or emotions you were experiencing?
3. Now Read the Article for the month and think about your journaling thus far, and answer some of these questions (there is no right or wrong answer):
- What were key elements that stand out?
- What relationships do you see between various parts of your reading/thinking/writing?
- What are the implications (if any) for how you live your life?
- What work needs to be done before you choose to act?
- What will enable you to move forward?
- What other things might you try?
- What help do you need, if any?
- What questions remain in your mind?
- As you reflect on all of this, how would you talk about what you have learned?
4. Decision Time – Making a PLAN of ACTION! (Consider revisiting or writing your plan after your TSG Circle – other perspectives might help guide your plan.) Grab your pen again and write about some of these:
- What changes do I want to make/see from the concepts and ideas I’ve just read.
- What are all the steps that I need to accomplish this change? Start with a step that is reasonable – meaning you can see yourself as having a 90% or greater chance at succeeding with that step.
- If you aren’t convinced you can be successful is there a smaller step you could make?
- What specific track-able actions will I practice each day? How will I track it?
- Create deadline or time frame – when you will reassess.
- Consider making a written/verbal commitment to help promote diligent focus, progress, and accountability (God, Spouse, Circle member, Family member, Close friend)
There are 4 Keys to Self-Government Keys:
- Analysis,
- Plan,
- Effective Communication
- Deliberate Action
Give this journal tool a try – flex those Self-government muscles, it may feel awkward, unnecessary, time-consuming at first. It’s OK! In time these keys will become habitual, a natural way of responding to problems, a spontaneous way of thinking, and the key to the progress and change you are seeking!
RESOURCES:
http://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/allen.pdf (excerpt from)
(Allen, Facilitating Learning Conversations and Communities – page 6)
The Art of Focused Conversation, one of the Intercultural Affairs (ICA) publications.